The Scoop on Poop
June 29, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
The Lowdown on Pet Poo
With over 160 million dogs and cats as pets throughout America, the environmental paw-print left by your pet is something to take seriously. Take your pet’s poo, for instance. If left behind, it can get washed from the lawn into a storm drain and the bacteria can cause water pollution. It can also spread disease to other animals and, when stepped in by humans, can cause beaches and parks to ban pets from those spaces.
But what can we do with all that poo? From “Oops I pooped!” biodegradable bags to flushing it down the toilet, check out six ways to ‘green’ your pet poo:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/green-pet-poop.html
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Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.5
June 28, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.5
Jupiter conjunct Neptune, transiting and retrograde, has been going on for a month now. The effects are manifesting in each of our lives, but may be easier to notice in someone you know well. A long-held fear or weakness is accentuated. Situations arise that they usually try to avoid.
Think about what is happening in your own life. What problem, or problems, are you facing that seem overpowering? That touch a raw nerve? That you dwell on in the middle of the night? That you wish would just go away?
This retrograde conjunction is a gift: an opportunity to deal differently with a recurring problem or fear. You can take the advice of friends who see the situation without your blinders. You can do what you’ve long muttered you’d like to do as you walked away in defeat or hurt. You can stand up for yourself. You can let go.
Two weeks ago, I recommended that you contemplate the house in your horoscope that hold Aquarius 23 to 27. Now look at its opposite house (1st and 7th, 2nd and 8th, 3rd and 9th, 4th and 10th, 5th and 11th, 6th and 12th). With some contemplation, you should be able to hone in on your specific opportunity for growth.
1st House: Turn a dream into a reality. Let go of a fantasy that will never be, and replace it with a new dream. Quit hoping you’ll be a size 2, and love your size 12. Or eat well and exercise until you slim to size 10.
2nd House: Believe in your skills and values, and others will recognize them. Do not think you need other people to validate your worth. Be practical with money. Do not inflate the importance of your possessions.
3rd House: You are seeing when others are being deceptive or manipulative. You can speak your truth without beating around the bush. Strive to speak plainly. If someone misunderstands, review what was said. Apologize without fear, if appropriate.
4th House: Look for what makes you feel secure. Don’t mistake trappings for grounded-ness. Embrace your crazy relatives. Be one yourself.
5th House: Unchain your talent. Let a child be less dependent. Love is blind; don’t let it blind you to reality—and the advice others may be giving you.
6th House: Accept what you do not like about your job, or find a constructive way to phase into a new job. Do not expect to be paid for work that you do not do well. Medicines may not work as they are supposed to. Check prescriptions when they are filled; mistakes are likely now.
7th House: Demand as much from yourself as your partner. Look at your spouse as if you were recently met and discover new qualities, or aspects that you (or he) have forgotten to celebrate. Do the same for yourself.
8th House: Seek professional advice in matters of legacies, taxes, settlements. Your expectations may be too high, or too low. Discuss joint finances with your partner and agree on how funds are allocated.
9th House: Education and training are all around you. Don’t be too set in your expectations or you’ll miss opportunities. Travel in your mind, if not with your body.
10th House: Create the opportunity for a career change. It won’t be handed to you. Do not seek attention. Don’t forget to attend to details.
11th House: Hopes and wishes are attainable. Don’t impose old limits on yourself. Friends are able to offer insight, especially if you are going through a mid-life crisis. Vivid dreams.
12th House: A deep-seated weakness can be converted into your greatest strength if you don’t let yourself be overrun by discouragement. Things are brighter than they seem.
FOLKWAYS by Ann MacGregor
June 25, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Ann MacGregor
The Summer Solstice campfire was built and lit. Our chairs snug around the fire ring, we sat in silence with the flames, honoring the longest day and the beginning of the slow journey to autumn and winter. The loons occasionally laughed at their own jokes, and the nine-member goose family paddled against the river current to their home for the night. The reeds at river’s edge moved with the snuffling and splashing of the wee folk going for a solstice swim. It was a glorious Solstice night as we offered our reflections, blessing, and intents for the coming months. In commentary to our thoughts, a distant owl hooted her final words on the matter of the Solstice.
We closed our Solstice ceremony, and began to prepare the additional fire ritual, which we perform at any quarter or cross-quarter, and often, in-between. But, we realized we had closed our ritual too soon. Late as always, the Mosquito family flew in. All of them, Mr. Mosquito and his lovely bride Mrs. Mosquito, and their 12 children. They were delighted to see us, and were thankful they had arrived in time for the SMORES ritual. Immediately, we began flailing about in irritation, as they flew around us with joy and happiness. Mr. Mosquito landed on my piece of Hershey chocolate and announced he had a story of his ancestors he would like to tell in honor of the Solstice. This is what he said.
In the time of Long-ago, in Njambi’s Town (In far away Africa), Mosquito and Ear went out to take a bath together. After taking her bath, Ear began to rub an oil substance over herself, while Mosquito did not. So Ear said to Mosquito, ‘Why do you leave your skin so rough? It is better to rub on a little oil.’ Mosquito replied, ‘I have none.’ So Ear said, ‘Indeed! I did not know that. I will give you part of mine, as I have plenty.’ Mosquito had to wait the while that Ear was rubbing the soft wax over herself. But, as soon as Ear had finished, she put back the wax into her ear where she usually kept it, and did not fulfill her promise to Mosquito.
When Mosquito saw this, that the oil was put away, he came near to the door, and said, ‘I want the oil you promised for rubbing on my body.’ But Ear took no notice of him, except to call on Hands to drive Mosquito away. So, to this day, Mosquito is not willing to cease making his claim for the unfulfilled promise; and is always coming to our ears, and buzzing and crying. Always Mosquito comes and says, ‘ I want my oil, Bz-z-z-z-z-z-.’ But Ear remains silent, and givens no answer. And Mosquito keeps on grumbling and complaining, and gets angry and bites.
From Where Animals Talk; West African Folklore Tales, by Richard Badger, published 1912.
What’s On MY Food…by Tara Troge
June 24, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
What’s on my food?? We all know that food grown conventionally is sprayed with pesticides, which over time build up in our bodies and cause detrimental health effects. However, living in a small town, sometimes we don’t have a wide range of choices, and buying local is always the better option than having something shipped in. But what if the amount of pesticides used outweighs the health benefit of that particular food?
If you’re curious to know exactly what is being put on that food you’re buying, check out www.whatsonmyfood.org. This website features a really great tool to find out just what pesticides are sprayed on your food and their potential health effects. All of the data compiled in the searchable database was obtained from the USDA Pesticide Data Program.
For example, the local grocery store had non-organic strawberries on sale, so before I purchased I looked them up and here is what I found. Conventionally grown strawberries may contain:
6—Known or Probable Carcinogens
16—Suspected Hormone Disruptors
10—Neurotoxins
4—Developmental or Reproductive Toxicants
They have every food listed under the sun; so before you think about buying non-organic anything, look it up first to see what you’re actually getting.
Working With A Shaman
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
A Soulful Cure…Working with a Shaman
Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle, mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as modern men and women feel the same call to service that their ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for wellness, wisdom, and guidance.
The word shaman literally means “he or she who knows.” Shamanism is an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing and curing human suffering?whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.
Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as your soul.
Reprinted from the Daily Om. Click here to subscribe to Daily Om.
Can I Have A Tissue?
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under General Info, Reflections From Brigid's House
Can I have a tissue, please?
If you were in my house, the answer would be a resounding no! If you’ve ever pondered giving up your Kleenex, paper towels and the like, consider this: if every household in America traded one box of Kleenex and one roll of toilet paper for a 100% recycled version, we would save a whopping 807,000 trees! This doesn’t even count the over 1.4 million trees that would still be standing if we replaced our toilet paper and napkins with recycled ones. To give your non-recycled tissues a toss, check out this handy, printable guide (but consider NOT printing) to the most earth-friendly options on the market: http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World A Perfect Opportunity
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.4 A Perfect Opportunity
Transiting Neptune in Aquarius went retrograde on May 29th. Transiting Jupiter is also in Neptune in Aquarius, and turns retrograde on June 15th—within a degree of Neptune’s position. The effects of this stellar phenomenon are potent—once you know to pay attention.
Neptune can suppress your ego or inspire you to perform great acts of selflessness. It is the bringer of dreams and illusions. Where it is in your chart shows where you can lose your sense of reality, or where you find/create peace, beauty and inspiration.
Jupiter is expansive. It makes things flow more easily, and often brings success. It is concerned with the social “glue” that holds society together. By transit, it highlights the area in life (house) in which you are trying to grow. It can prompt people to overdo, overreach, or take more than their share.
The retrograde conjunction of transiting Neptune and transiting Jupiter will affect everyone. Like all stellar aspects, it brings an opportunity to see things more clearly, and to act more positively. The things we need to see more clearly, and act upon more positively, are (naturally) things we fear, misunderstand, mistrust, or generally tend to get wrong.
To understand better what these are in your life, look at your natal horoscope and find the house that contains Aquarius 23 – 27 degrees. This house describes the facets of your life that are being activated by transiting Neptune and Jupiter. Correlate the description of this house (posted last week) with what is happening in your life right now. You should find some notable events.
Then look to see if the degrees of Aquarius 23 – 27 conjoin or oppose any planets in your chart. These planets are stimulated by the transiting Neptune and Jupiter. You will face fears and healing with the planetary energies and the people in your life who represent these energies.
Finally, if you can, calculate a secondary progression chart for June 1, 2009. This is your natal chart progressed for now. Identify the house that contains Aquarius 2 – 27. This house describes how the transmutation of energies will work out.
Jupiter goes direct on Oct 13, 2009. Neptune on Nov 4th: five months to take advantage of this incredible opportunity for personal growth. Don’t miss out.
Mysts and the Mystery
June 18, 2009 by
Filed under General Info, Reflections From The Stars
The Mysts and Mystery
This morning the fog lies heavy and I love it! All the trees seem suspended between the otherworld and this world. Are they really there or not? Are they yearning to become a tree but haven’t yet made it into this world? Are they just in someone’s imagination but not yet formed into solid? I love the mystery around the mysts—certainly that must be where the word “mysts” comes from—it is a part of the word mystery.
I think in our modern age life we forget about the power of mystery. We are certainly the information age and with all this information we then think we “know” so there is no mystery. I remember when I was Catholic and they changed the Mass from Latin to English. The mystery of the Mass was suddenly gone. I had loved the sounds of the Latin words. I didn’t need to “know” what was being said, I could “feel” it. It seems to me that in knowing, we lose the mystery and the feeling, we lose the heart, replacing it with the head.
How can you bring more mystery into your life today? What is the mystery that keeps you in your heart? Walk into the mysts……..and remember with your heart~
May the Mysts open your heart,
Jeanne
Connect With Fellow Environmentalists
June 11, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
In this day and age, most of us are likely to be members of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, or some other social networking site. But if you feel lost amongst the vast array of quizzes, drink requests, and invitations to a water fight, and yearn to connect with more like minded individuals, check out Sierra Club’s new social network called Climate Crossroads. On Climate Crossroads you can publicize green events, learn about global warming, share recipes and more!
Check it out at: http://climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org/index.html
It’s In The House…Astrology
June 10, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.3
It is not hard to think of the Earth as the center of our Universe. Astrologers picture the relationship between the Earth and the Zodiac like a wheel that turns as it marks an individual’s life journey. The Earth is the hub, the Zodiac is the rim, and the spokes are cusps that delineating twelve houses. Each house encompasses specific attributes, activities, parts of the body, and people close to us.
The 1st House describes your personality (temperament, attitude); your physical body’s stature, complexion, facial features, and coordination; your impressions of your early home environment; the impression you make upon (give to) others. It is the first impression you emote to others—what they notice about you at first glance or meeting.
The 2nd House describes how you handle your natural abilities and inner emotions. It rules the neck and throat areas of the body. It describes how you give and receive, how you value your possessions, how you earn and spend money. Your personal system of values.
The 3rd House encompasses your basic communication patterns (speech and hearing), your conscious and rational mind, brothers and sisters, daily routine, early education (K-12), transportation (eg. your car). It describes what you write, how patient or impatient you are, your receptivity to others’ ideas. It rules your arms, wrists, hands, fingers, shoulders, lungs and nervous system.
4th House rules your home and its environment, and your parents (specifically the more nurturing parent). It describes your need for security, and how you terminate or end things. Living conditions at the end of life. It rules the stomach, digestive organs, rib, breasts and breast bone. It can describe how you deal with losses in competitive sports or love affairs. It describes a man’ mother-in-law, and a woman’s father-in-law.
5th House deals with love affairs and romantic partners, speculation, entertainment, and natural children. It shows income from real estate. It rules your heart, sides, and back between the shoulders. It describes what you are willing to share, what turns you on, what intrigues you, what you like to indulge in. The 5th house rules friends of your marriage or business partner.
6th House rules the services you provide to others. It covers co-workers, employees and employers, your attitude toward doing a job. It describes your love of animals and your relationship to small domestic pets. It describes your body’s health and health vulnerabilities, and how you treat your body through nutrition, hygiene or personal care. It rules your memory, military associations, and life-saving services rendered by fire, police or first-responders. It describes how you discharge your debts and obligations, your wardrobe and how you dress, and how you handle the problems that you face. It rules the diaphragm, bowels, solar plexus, intestines and liver.
7th House covers your marriage and business partners, his/her personal attributes. It represents your doctors, lawyers, brokers, agents, astrologers—those with whom you consult. It rules the outcome of lawsuits and illnesses, entertainment while on short trips, and interest received on money loaned. It rules the kidneys, small of the back, loins, groin area, bladder.
8th House rules matters related to death, sex, taxes, esoteric studies, and regeneration. It describes the finances and holdings of marital or business partners, how you are inclined to handle and treat the resources of others, and sixth sense matters, whether occult, spiritual or mystical. It governs the muscular system, external sex organs, sex force and drive, venereal diseases, creative energies, excretory function.
9th House describes your religious or philosophical views, higher education, lessons learned from life’s experiences, in-laws, grandchildren, foreign dealings and long journeys. It rules all forms of higher thought, logic and judgment, and charitable donations. It defines your interest in foreign lands, people and travel, as well as your prospects for publishing and winning in courts of appeal. It governs the hips, thighs, lower back, sciatic nerve.
10th House rules reputation, credit and standing in your community or profession. It represents the extension of yourself into the world—what amount of authority you carry; the degree of tact and diplomacy you employ in your business dealings. It describes your bosses or superiors, including government officials, and the honors you can receive. It rules your skeletal structure, skin conditions, and parent of the opposite sex.
11th House deals with friendships, hopes and wishes, and the desire to participate in social and group activities. It describes income from business and professional activities, and the societies, clubs, and social organizations to which you belong. It rules your ability to overcome obstacles. It governs the shins, ankles and calves of the legs, and the oxygenation process of your body’s blood stream.
12th House describes the things we do not wish to face. It governs sorrow, confinements, restraints, self-undoing, troubles, worry, suffering, losses, pain, seclusion, exile, handicaps, chronic diseases, and hidden places. It deals with how you come to terms with yourself without outside help, and rules the subconscious mind, cosmic consciousness, and ability to relax and sleep. The 12th House holds your greatest inner strength, what you need to activate and embrace to overcome your secret fears. It rules the feet, toes, phlegm, mucous, and poisoning.
To be continued.
